Category: Australian News

Today’s ABS labour force figures show the unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9 per cent, the equal lowest level since December 2008.
There are more Australians in work than ever before. Total employment has increased by 284,100 over the year, to a record high of 12,763,400. Full-time employment is 210,000 higher than it was a year ago.
Again, the level of female total employment has reached a new record high of 6,002,400. Female full-time employment also stands at a record high, at 3,249,100.
A total of 1,288,200 jobs have been created since the Government came to office in September 2013.
Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, said today’s figures show the danger of changing course from an economic plan which is working.
“Our economy is facing global headwinds and that’s why we need to stick to our plan, which is helping to build a stronger economy,” Minister O’Dwyer said.
“By contrast, Labor’s only plan for the economy is $200 billion of higher taxes on your retirement, your superannuation, your house, your business and your income.”
“Let’s not forget that the unemployment rate skyrocketed from 4.4 per cent to 5.7 per cent under Labor. In their final year in office, full-time employment actually fell by 20,300.”
“All that Labor’s taxes and job-destroying policies will do is hurt Australians, including many on low and middle incomes, and older Australians,” Minister O’Dwyer concluded.

The Greens will move to protect Australia’s precious groundwater by extending the ‘water trigger’ to all types of unconventional gas mining as part of the their plan to ban fracking across Australia, mining and resources spokesperson Larissa Waters will announce today.
Senator Waters said while working on the ultimate goal of a complete ban, amending the ‘water trigger’ to ensure the Environment Minister must fully consider any negative impacts on water or groundwater of an unconventional gas mining project before deciding whether to approve it, would go a long way to protecting our water.
“Fracking is a disaster for our farmland, groundwater, environment and climate, with dangerous methane pollution leaking from wells and pipes as ‘fugitive’ emissions,” Senator Waters said.
“We’re on the driest inhabited continent on the planet, which is experiencing unprecedented drought, protection of our precious groundwater must come before the profits of gas companies.
“It’s time for Australia to join the global movement against fracking.  Bans or moratoriums are already in place in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, New York State in the USA and Quebec in Canada.
“States and Territories like Tasmania, Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and parts of NSW have already responded to the community and taken the first steps towards phasing out this dangerous industry – but sadly, fracking is still legal in Queensland, Western Australia and the NT.
“The Greens have been campaigning against the polluting unconventional gas industry since 2010 but Labor and the LNP continue to champion gas because they take political donations from the gas companies.
“Landholders, including traditional owners, cannot say no to unconventional gas because the major parties keep saying yes to their mining donor mates.
“We have energy alternatives which don’t threaten our climate, health, land, and that will create new jobs for workers and communities – CSG can frack off, for the sake of a better future for all of us.”
Stop Fracking and Unconventional Gas policy here: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/Greens%20Election%202019-Stop%20Fracking.pdf
 

Reports that the Federal Government has not kept track of threatened species recovery shows the need for the Greens’ proposal to strengthen environmental laws and establish a National Environment Commission.
“We need to get serious about threatened species recovery. The days of throwing small amounts of money at pet projects without any follow through must end. A National Environment Commission would ensure that threatened species recovery was prioritised and tracked,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Our environmental laws are broken, and the hard work of the many excellent staff in the Environment Department is undermined and eroded by a system that is too easily flouted.
“The Liberals cannot be trusted on saving our threatened species, as we learn time and again. Labor is yet to commit to strengthening our environmental laws.
“Our care for the environment should be based on facts, not the whims of the government of the day. We need to get down to the business of restoring ecosystems, addressing climate breakdown and making sure we leave a thriving planet.
“The Greens have a plan to restore and protect our environment, which includes stronger environmental laws, establishing a body to fund and track the recovery of our threatened species, and a national Environment Protection Authority with teeth to enforce real consequences for those who are wrecking our natural world.”

The Morrison Government will tackle the impact of increasing population in congested cities and back smaller cities and regions looking for greater growth to secure their economic future and the key public services they rely on.
We will reduce the cap on our migration program, build the infrastructure and deliver the services Australians need, and plan for a more evenly distributed population growth. These changes are about easing population pressures in our biggest cities, while ensuring regional communities are given a much needed boost.
Australia has thrived from a steady population growth and is the most successful immigration nation in the world and our plan will ensure our country continues to lead the way. But over the last two decades, the infrastructure and services have not kept pace, causing congestion on our roads and public transport particularly in Melbourne, Sydney and South East Queensland.
At the same time, many of our smaller cities and regional areas are crying out for more people. Some regional areas simply cannot fill the jobs available. There are an estimated 47,000 job vacancies in regional Australia today.
The Morrison Government’s plan for Australia’s future population will ease the pressure on the big capitals while supporting the growth of those smaller cities and regions that want more people.
Last year, we brought the permanent migration rate down to its lowest level in a decade by focusing on the integrity of the visa system and prioritising Australians for Australian jobs. Part of our population policy will include stronger incentives for new people to our country to settle outside the big capitals in areas that will welcome their skills and expertise.
New measures will be introduced that will better match migration to regional needs, ease the pressure on big cities and ensure Australia remains an attractive destination to live and work for highly skilled and talented people from around the globe.
We will continue to deliver a record $75 billion investment in infrastructure, underway right now across the country.
The Government’s population policy includes:
1. Reducing the migration cap by 15% and incentivising more new migrants to settle outside the big cities where there are jobs and services;
Reducing the migration ceiling from 190,000 to 160,000 places.
Introducing two new regional visas for skilled workers requiring them to live and work in regional Australia for three years before being able to access permanent residence. 23,000 places will be set aside for these regional visas.
Introducing new tertiary scholarships to attract Australian and international students to study in regional Australia ($15,000 scholarships will be available to more than 1000 domestic and international students each year).
Giving international students studying at regional universities access to an additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa.
2. Busting congestion on our roads and trains.
Plan to better connect regional centres with fast rail.
Investing $75 billion in road, rail and air infrastructure across the country.
Investing more in congestion-busting infrastructure through the $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
3. Planning for the future by working more closely with state and territory governments to match infrastructure with local population need
Population management as a fixture of future COAG discussions with the adoption of a bottom-up approach
Continuing to deliver new City Deals and Regional Deals to ensure three levels of government working together
Establishing a Centre for Population, ensuring there is a central, consistent and expert perspective on population growth. The Centre will pursue opportunities to improve data and research on population and facilitate collaboration on population planning across Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local governments.
We will also build on the work our government is doing to support grassroots initiatives that foster belonging and break down barriers to social and economic participation.
These changes also enhance the Government’s focus on skilled migration, with the number of Employer Sponsored skilled visa places increasing from 35,528 in 2017-18 to 39,000 places in 2019-20. There is no change to the Family stream of the program, with 47,732 places available in 2019-20.
Under the two new regional visa categories, skilled migrants will be priority processed and will have access to a larger pool of jobs on the eligible occupation lists compared to those who live in our major cities. Migrants on these visas must demonstrate they have lived and worked in regional Australia for three years before being becoming eligible to apply for permanent residence.
The changes will mean migrants will stay in regional Australia longer-term, as they will build ties to a particular location through workforce participation and community involvement, easing the pressure off our congested cities.
Labor’s failure to plan for the impact of record migration on our cities and infrastructure has meant we have been forced to play catch-up.
Full details of the Morrison Government’s plan for Australia’s future population – download here.

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $4 million to build a new home for Surfing WA at Trigg Beach, supporting the more than 170,000 West Australians who regularly enjoy surfing.
No matter if it’s the river, pool or beach, enjoying water is part of Australian life and Western Australians have embraced surfing.
Each year Surfing WA provides 250,000 hours of surf education, training around 65,000 kids, beginners and elite surfers with surfing and water safety skills.
The new headquarters will feature more space for surfing lessons, water safety programs, training of judges and officials, increased storage and more workspace for staff.
This will help Surfing WA continue to support 31 surf clubs along the WA coast and the 70 primary and high schools who benefitted from their education programs in 2018.
Nationally, Surfing WA is the number one state for delivering the grassroots SurfGroms program which teaches 5-12 years old the fundamentals of surfing.
Labor’s investment will also help Surfing WA continue to run four international surfing events, including the annual world tour Margaret River Pro, and local and regional contests throughout WA most weekends.
In 2018 Surfing WA expanded their regional footprint with more than 65% of organised surfing in the state now held in regional WA.
Labor’s investment will also support Surfing WA to identify, train and nurture the next generation of Australian surfing heroes like Western Australia’s own Taj Burrow, current women’s world champion Stephanie Gilmore, fellow seven-time world champion Layne Beachley and three-time men’s world champion Mick Fanning.

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Australia’s first Muslim woman Senator, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has received more than 1.3 million signatures from a change.org petition calling for Fraser Anning to be removed from Parliament following his disgraceful comments about the Christchurch terrorist attack. The petition is by far the largest in Australian online petition history. Senator Faruqi will present it to the Senate when Parliament resumes in a few weeks.

Senator Faruqi was joined by Sally Rugg, Executive Director of Change.org as well as Dr Kate Ahmad and Harris Sultan, who started the petition as well as other supporters. The petition is available here: https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-remove-fraser-anning-from-parliament .

Senator Faruqi said:

“Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A fitting day to receive a petition which loudly and clearly says we will not tolerate bigotry and racism.
“On behalf of the 1.3 million people and counting who have signed the petition, I will be tabling it in the senate as soon as parliament resumes in April.
“There is a reason why this petition is the biggest online petition in Australia. People are angry and frustrated that our political system has allowed a politician to spread such division and hate.
“Senator Anning has well and truly crossed the line. He does not deserve to be in parliament. The Greens are exploring every option to suspend him from Parliament. I have no doubt the community will make sure he is not re-elected in May” she concluded.

The report of the Senate inquiry into mine rehabilitation was unable to come to majority recommendations, with the major parties clearly working in the interests of mining companies over the Australian people, say the Australian Greens.

The Committee worked for two years on the inquiry and visited communities impacted by mining across the country. It heard from community members, state and territory governments, independent experts, and the mining industry, and developed a very clear body of evidence showed the huge problems Australia faces cleaning up and rehabilitating closed mines.
“We expected the Coalition Senators’ position to be weak, but to have a response comprising only one recommendation from Labor is appalling,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Senator and Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee.
“The idea that we should kick this into another review after two years of thorough work by the Committee is staggering and must cast suspicion over an incoming Labor Government’s environmental reform agenda.”
“It’s outrageous that the Labor and Coalition senators decided not to support any of the Greens recommendations, particularly those requiring strong national standards to ensure that mines are properly closed, rehabilitated and paid for by mine operators, not Australian taxpayers.”
“It’s clear the Labor party doesn’t want to anger their corporate donors in the mining industry so close to an election.”
“It’s a business as usual approach that will see more communities suffer the environmental and social consequences of closed mines that aren’t properly rehabilitated, like the traditional owners of the former uranium mine site in Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory.”
“Why should Australian taxpayers foot the bill to restore mine areas when big mining companies make massive profits off the back of resources the Australian people own?”
“The reason Labor and the Coalition don’t want to sign up to the Greens very sensible recommendations is because they work for corporations, not Australians. Labor and the Coalition have taken millions in donations from the mining industry in return for favourable policy decisions.”

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The Greens recommendations include:

• the federal government funding a complete national inventory of current and abandoned mine sites, and creating  national standards that mining companies must adhere to.

• Requiring  mining companies to provide upfront funding to pay for the cost of rehabilitation once a mine closes. This is to be based on evidence, full cost of site rehabilitation and verified by open and transparent means, including independent audit.

• Enforceable national progressive rehabilitation targets for mining operations, aimed at maximising the area of rehabilitation during a mine’s operational life.

• Amending the Corporations Act and Australian Accounting Standards to ensure mining companies account for and report on financial liabilities for mine closure on a site-by-site basis.

• Amending current environmental law to ensure that mines have the lowest impact on matters of national environmental significance, including the submission of a full life of mine and closure plan at the approvals stage before a project can go ahead.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today launched the Greens’ six point plan to help small businesses reduce power bills, improve their energy efficiency and switch over to clean energy. Mr Bandt delivered a presentation announcing the policies at a Council of Small Business Organisations Australia roundtable in Melbourne.
In addition to offering financial assistance to small business, The Greens plan includes re-regulating electricity prices and establishing a new public retailer – Power Australia – which will sell cheap electricity to small business and drive down retail prices.
The Greens also recognise that the high cost of gas is a huge challenge facing small business. This is a consequence of the Rudd Labor government’s decision to open up two new giant LNG export terminals in Queensland, which are depleting domestic supplies and pegging gas to the export price.
Gas has been touted as an essential part of the energy mix moving forward, but gas is not a transition fuel, it’s a fossil fuel. With cheap, clean electricity there would be no need for households and most businesses to use gas for cooking or heating.
A report by Climate Works into Gas-Electricity Substitution Projections to 2050 identified upfront capital costs and concern about short term cash flows as barriers for businesses switching over. Additionally, every time a business purchases a new gas appliance, the lifespan for that appliance could be 10 years, or more. Providing the upfront economic incentive to switch will be required to overcome this barrier.
The Greens’ range of measures are not only designed to help businesses save energy but also to electrify, switching away from expensive dirty gas towards renewable energy, as well as encouraging investment and research into replacing gas with alternatives.
The Greens’ plan has been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.
Small Business Energy Plan:
1. The Greens will establish a public owned not-for-profit energy retailer – Power Australia -that will purchase cheap renewable energy and offer low-cost electricity plans to small businesses as well as re-regulating electricity prices.
2. The Greens will establish a ‘Small Business Clean Energy Fund’ with an initial funding injection of $200 million over the next 4 years. SMEs will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to cover the cost of investment in assets or capital works that will reduce fossil fuel use, improve energy efficiency or switch from gas to clean energy. This fund will operate in conjunction with the instant asset tax write off, as businesses who receive the instant asset write off for assets will also be able to receive money from the Clean Energy Small Business Fund.
3. Re-establish the Clean Technology Program, scrapped by Tony Abbott, with a $200 million investment to support the innovation of products, processes and services by business and industry. The fund had distributed around $50 million before it was scrapped by the government.
4. The Greens will invest $100 million from ARENA to support specific research, development and commercialisation into industrial substitution and electrification programs in the chemical and other manufacturing and fabrication industries.
5. Small businesses will also have access to loans of up to $15,000 to assist with the installation of battery storage. These loans will be repayable over a 10 year period supported by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
6. To complement the above initiatives, the Greens will also establish Clean Energy Solution Centres to support business to implement audits and develop energy efficiency plans.
Quotes attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Greens climate change and energy spokesperson:
“Small business is bearing the brunt of the old parties’ addiction to gas and coal.
“The government loves to talk up its small business credentials, but businesses are talking about closing because Angus Taylor doesn’t have the guts to get energy prices under control.
“The Greens will stand up to the big power corporations on behalf of small business.”
“In addition to offering cheap, clean electricity packages to small business, our package will help businesses fuel switch from gas to electricity in the short term, while boosting research and development so we can transition away from gas entirely.
“After we boot out the conservatives we’ll need some new energy laws, but the Greens will also re-establish programs that were working well before Tony Abbott tore them down, like the Clean Technology Innovation Program.
“The key to helping small businesses isn’t to abandon them with a small government, neoliberal approach, but for government and industry to work cooperatively to help small businesses embrace the clean energy transition.
“Our plan will help small businesses reduce power bills and reduce pollution.
“Instead of making themselves a small target for small business, Labor should commit to adopting our package in the next Parliament.”

Western Australia will benefit from better health and hospital services with a Shorten Labor Government investing an additional $110 million in vital new projects across the state.
Mark McGowan and his team are doing a great job fighting for better health care – but Western Australia deserves their fair share from the Federal Government. A Shorten Labor Government will partner with the McGowan Government to deliver the projects the state needs for better health.
Labor’s investment blitz will overhaul outdated regional hospitals, upgrade surgery facilities, provide new palliative care beds, and boost emergency capacity and dental services.
Labor’s new commitments will improve care for patients from central Perth to regional towns like Albany and further locations like Halls Creek.
Labor is today committing to fund seven new projects. We will:

• Build a clinical command centre at Royal Perth Hospital to help provide care to patients across Western Australia ($15m)
• Establish an all-new health clinic in Yanchep, where health services are sorely lacking ($18.2m)
• Replace the dilapidated and asbestos-riddled Laverton Hospital with a new contemporary facility
  ($12.8m), joining a McGowan Government commitment of $4 million to the project
• Upgrade Collie Hospital’s surgery facilities so that locals can get world-class care close to home ($12.2m)
• Provide 25 new palliative care beds at Osborne Park Hospital to ensure more people get the best possible care at the end of their lives ($25m)
• Double the capacity of Albany Hospital’s dental clinic ($5m)
• Provide dialysis facilities for Halls Creek in the Kimberley ($700,000)

This new funding package comes on top of commitments Labor has already made to build an Urgent Care Centre in Fremantle ($5m); redevelop the Bentley Health Service ($10.9m); and upgrade Kalamunda District Community Hospital’s palliative care facilities ($7.6m).
That brings Federal Labor’s capital commitment to the state’s hospitals to an additional $112.4 million, with more to be announced.
This funding is in addition to Labor’s existing investment in expanding the Joondalup health campus, including the construction of a 75 bed mental health facility, as well as the rollout of new Medicare-funded MRI licences across the state.
Labor will also restore core funding to every public hospital, reversing Scott Morrison’s cuts.
We can afford these investments because we’ve made tough decisions to make multinationals pay their fair share and close unfair tax loopholes.
Scott Morrison and the Liberals cannot be trusted with health – as Treasurer Scott Morrison cut funding from health while trying to give a $80 billion tax handout to big business, including $17 billion to the big banks.
He cut $77 million from Western Australia’s hospitals under the current 2017 to 2020 funding agreement. And now he’s trying to lock in even bigger cuts for the next five years.
Labor is more than reversing the Liberal cuts with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund, which we will use to fund these vital projects.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix Western Australia’s hospitals.

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $1 billion on vital upgrades to Australia’s public hospitals – building new wards with more beds, upgrading emergency departments and theatres, and establishing new palliative care and mental health facilities.
Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff do an amazing job, but we know there are hospital facilities across the country that are aging and in dire need of a revamp to ensure patients get the best care possible.
At a time when everything is going up except people’s wages, soaring health care costs under the Liberals are putting more strain on the family budget – and more strain on our public hospitals. Out-of-pocket GP costs have increased by 25%, specialist costs by almost 40% and private health insurance premiums by 30%.
1.3 million Australians skip getting basic health care because of cost – and this puts extra pressure on our public hospitals.
That’s why Labor will invest an additional $1 billion upgrading hospitals across the country, with every state and territory to benefit from these targeted investments that will ensure patients can access modern and safe health services, and that doctors and nurses have the tools they need to deliver the best possible care.
We are already partnering with state and territory governments to identify projects that will make a tangible difference to the lives of Australians – whether they’re giving birth, undergoing essential surgery, waiting for emergency treatment or reaching the end of their lives.
Labor’s $1 billion investment will be flexible to meet the needs of individual hospitals – in some cases, this will mean rebuilding and expanding existing facilities so they can cater for more patients, in other cases it will mean the construction of brand new units to meet the health needs of a community.
From downtown Sydney to regional WA, from rural Tasmania to Far North Queensland, from inner Melbourne to regional South Australia and the Northern Territory: Labor will ensure more Australians can access essential health services close to home so they don’t need to travel to the next town or city.
This investment blitz is a key part of Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to improve our public hospitals and strengthen Medicare.
We can afford to spend more on health care because we’ve made the tough decisions to make multinationals pay their fair share and close unfair tax loopholes.
This $1 billion worth of capital investments will come on top of our commitment to restore the core public hospital funding cut by the Liberals.
A Shorten Labor Government will always invest more on health and hospital services than the Liberals.
The Liberals have an appalling record on health funding, inflicting cut after cut after cut.
That’s why Australians today are paying more than ever to see the doctor, and why people are languishing longer than ever in emergency departments and on elective surgery waiting lists.
As Treasurer, Scott Morrison cut from health and hospitals in every Budget he delivered.
He cut $715 million from hospitals under the current 2017 to 2020 funding agreement with the states. And now he’s trying to lock in even bigger cuts for the next five years. Only Labor is promising a better deal.
Since becoming Prime Minister, Morrison’s sought to cut even more from hospitals and has refused to lift the six-year Medicare rebate freeze.
Labor knows there’s nothing more important than your health – that’s why we will always fight for better health care and why only Labor can be trusted to fix Australia’s hospitals.